1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a fender protector structure of a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fender protector structure having a reinforcing beam portion extending between a body panel and a fender panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. (Hei) 11-208514 (hereinafter “Patent Document 1”) discloses a vehicle wherein a wheel arch portion is formed at a portion of a fender panel corresponding to a wheel well of a body structure, and wherein a fender protector is disposed on the fender panel so as to cover an outer side of a vehicle wheel well between the wheel arch portion of the fender panel and a vehicle body inner plate.
In such a structure, although fixing points can be formed on the fender protector for attachment to the fender panel at a vehicle body side at each end of a periphery of the wheel arch portion, it is difficult to establish a fixing point at the vehicle side at a peripheral intermediate portion of the wheel arch portion. Accordingly, sufficient rigidity may be lacking at the peripheral intermediate portion of the wheel arch portion for accommodating a load applied from the lateral outer side.
Thus, according to Patent Document 1, a rib is disposed at an outer end of the fender protector with respect to a vehicular width direction of the fender protector. Further, the rib contacts an inner surface of the fender panel to thereby enhance and improve the rigidity at the peripheral intermediate portion of the wheel arch portion.
However, since the rib extends only a short distance from the outer end of the fender protector in the vehicular width direction in the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the structure still lacks sufficient rigidity (e.g., at the lateral inner portion in the vehicular width direction compared to the rib). As a result, the structure lacks sufficient rigidity to accommodate an outer force exerted from the lateral outer side to the peripheral intermediate portion of the wheel arch portion.